Railroad-signal



F. ROME.

RAILROAD SIGNAL.

APP LIGATION FILED OCT- 4, 1920.

1,366,134. Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ROME, or LOMBARD, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

Application filed October 4, 1920. Serial No. 414,529.

. and has for one of its objects providing suitable mechanism for operating a signal by trains as they approach crossings, and for the same traitn restoring the signal to its normal position after the train has passed the crossing; the arrangement being such when desired that the signal will be operated by a train coming in either direction. Other objects of the invention will be apparetit from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and the following description thereof.

Uf the drawings Figure 1 is a general perspective view ofa railroad crossing and signaling mechanism which embody the features of my invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the mechanism with portions thereof shown in cross-section; Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig.

a is an elevation of one of the elements of the mechanism for operating the signal.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown itas applied .to a railroad crossing. The train as it approaches the crossing automatically operates the mechanism so as to lower the signal which may consist of the ordinary sign Stop 5, or at night it may be a red lantern. This signal is suspended from a rotatable arm 6 which is lowered as the train approaches to its on position and raised as the train leaves the crossing to its off position. Suitable mechanism connects the arm 6 with a track trip mechanism 7, or other suitable device, which is forced downwardly by the wheels of the train, and, by acting on an arm 8, rotates a rod 9, which, by means of another arm 10 fixed to the rod 9, moves longitudinally a rod 12. This rod in turn acts on an arm 13, fixed to a rotatable rod 14, to which is fixed a second arm 15. The arm 15 coacts with an arm 17 rotatably mounted on a rod 18. The rod 18 is-sli'dably mounted in a vertical casing 19. A consideration of the mechanism will show that, as the track trip mechanism 7 is pushed downwardly, the arm 17 will be rotated; and, by means of a cam 20 fixed to the arm 17, and a coacting cam 16 fixed to the rod 18, the rod will be forced downwardly by the cams. This movement of the rod 18 will cause the arm 6to be 0p- .erated in the following manner:

Mounted on the upper end of the casing 19' is a casing 21, inclosing a suitable mechanism for associating the rod 18 withthe arm (3 so that,wheln' the rod 1.8 is forced downwardly, the arm 6 will be lowered if it is in its raised position or it will be raised if it is in its lowered position and, in either case,

the actuating force is a weight 22 supported by a cord which is wound on a drum 23.

The drum 23 is loosely mounted on a shaft 2% which has fixed thereto a ratchet wheel 25. .The weight 22 tends at all times to rotate the shaft 24, but theupper end of the rod 18, by means of the ratchet shoulders 26, prevent rotatioln of the shaft-2 1 until the rod 18 is forced downwardlyby. the train.

When the rod is forced downwardly, the

upper end releases the shoulder 26, but the cams 20 and-16 quickly allow the spring 35 to force the rod 1811p so as to catch thenext ratchet shouldeixl The shaft 24: is thus re leased sufliciently to allow it, by the force of the weight 22, to make one fourth of a 4 turn. This, by means of the cog wheels 27 and 28, rotates a shaft 29 one half of a turn, and this, by means of an arm 30, a link 31, and an arm 32, fixed to a shaft 33, operates the arm 6, which is fixed to the shaft 33, from its elevated to its horizontal or signaling position.

When the track trip mechanism 7 is pressed downwardly and. the rod 12 forced horizontally, an extension 36 of the rod 12 will also be forced horizontally, to the right as shown in the drawing, and the track trip mechanism 37, which, with its connecting mechanism, is a duplication of the track trip mechanism 7, will be forced upwardly, it being understood that it is to be operated by the wheel of the train when the proper point is reached for elevating the signal. When this occurs the process will be merely the reverse of the above described process.

The weight 22 is supportedinthe casing 19, and as the casing 19 may extend underground as far as may be desired, the weight 22 will have a very material vertical movement; and, if sufficiently heavy will operate the mechanism many times before reaching its lower limit so as to be effective over a connected to a shaft 41. A gear wheel 42 is fixed to the shaft 41, and this wheel coacts With a wheel 43 fixed to the drum 23, the Wheel 43 and the drum being rotatably mounted on the shaft 24:. As the weight 22 is elevated'by the crank 40, a pawl 44:, piv- "oted to the wheel l3, prevents the downward movement of the weight when the force of the operating crank is removed, by 'coacting with the ratchet wheel 45 fixed to the shaft 24.

It is to be understood that suitable protecting means are provided for the track trip mechanism and other parts; and that the various elements are constructed and adjusted so as to properly coact and produce the desired results; also that various modifications may be made in the mechanism by those Skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed by the following claims. A pawl L6 coacting with the ratchet wheel 47 prevents backward rotation of the shaft 29; andra plate 48 covers the sign 5 when the signal is raised.

I claim as my invention:

1. Train signaling means comprising a signal to be operated, a shaft for operating said signal, means tending to rotate said shaft, means preventing the rotation of said shaft, means for renderingineifective said preventive means so as'to allow said shaft to operate said signal,said rendering means beingoperable by the Wheel of a train, and

comprising a track trip mechanism positioned on one side of the signal, a track trip mechanism positioned on the other side of the signal, and means operatively connecting said mechanisms, each of said mechanisms arranged to be inoperative when the other mechanism is operative.

2. Train signaling means comprising a signal to be operated, a shaft for operating said signal, a weight tending to rotate said shaft, means preventing the rotation of said shaft, means operable by a train wheel for rendering temporarily inefiiective said preventing means, and additional means for rendering ineffective said preventing means also operable by a train, each of said train ope able means being inoperative when the other of said means is operative.

3. Train signaling means comprising a signal to be operated, a shaft for operating said signal, a weight tending to rotate said shaft, means preventing the rotation of said shaft, means operable by a train wheel for rendering temporarily ineffective said preventing means, second train operable means for rendering temporarily ineffective said preventing means, said second train operable means being brought into operable position by the operation of so id first mentioned train operable means.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

FRANK ROME. 

